And mere-itt b



pril 8 1924a W. E. COOK ET Au r INSULATED WIRE MAKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2O 1917 9% .H 7am/$5 @Mio/014213 @La Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

ST TS PATENT orties.

VJLLIAM E. COOK, OF ST. GEORGE, N EW YORK, ANDKMERRITT B. BRADT, OF PENNNG- TON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO PEECRLESS INSULATED WIR-E AND CABLE COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INSULATED-WIRE-MAKING MACHINE.

Application filed November 20, 1917. Serial No. 203,056.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, l/ViLLIAM E. Coon, a subject of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at St. George, in the borough of Richmond, city of New York, county of Richmond, and State of New York, and Mnnnrrr B. BRADT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pennington, in the county of Mercer and l0 State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Insulated- Wire-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

Our invention relates to insulated wire making machines, and more particularly to a machine for making insulated wires, the exterior of which is protected by a braid and the insulation of which is formed of cotton sliver or other similar absorbent, fibrous material saturated or impregnated with asphaltum or other like composition.

Heretofore in the manufacture of insulated wire of this character it has been the practice to spirally wind cotton sliver or other material upon the conductor wire and after the application of this material to the wire, to run the covered wire through an ordinary braiding machine to applyv the braided covering thereto. While applying the cotton sliver or other material to the wire in the winding machine, the sliver or other Inaterial is closely compacted about theA wire desired means as a thread wound about the same, the compacting being accomplished by passing the wire with the sliver Wound about it, through a forming die or horn. Since in wire made as above described, the sole bond between the cover braid and the insulating material results fromy the adhesiveness of the asphaltum or other composition, continued use, or abrasion, results in a complete separation of the braided covering from the body of the insulation.

By means of a machine made in accordance with our invention, we are enabled to inclose a conductor wire with cotton sliver or other absorbent, fibrous material, and apand held in this compacted condition by any rial, will result in part from the application of the strands forming the braid 'thereto, and in part, by a forming die or horn acting upon the braid-covered wire immediatelyafter the application of the kbraid thereto. -f v We have found that a better entangling of the strands of the cover braid.` and the outer libres ofthe covering of cotton sliver, or other material, is secured by shortening the angle 0f the strands with relation to the axis of the wire atv the point of application of these strands thereto.

To ensure uniformity in the thickness and resulting density of the insulating cover for the wire, we have found it essential in a machine made in accordance with our invention,fto so construct the machine as to maintain the same relation between the bare wire and the cotton sliver, or other material, irrespective of kbends in the wire, which particularly with heavierv wires, are almost unavoidable.

The invention consists primarily ina machine for making insulating wire, embodying therein means adapted to impart lineal traverse to a Wire, means adapted to lay a strip of fibrous' kmaterial longitudinally thereof upon said wire, a braiding mechanism adapted to lapplya plurality of braided strands about said fibrous material, and a n compacting die arranged beyond said braiding mechanism through which the 'covered wire passes, whereby outer iibers of said material will be enmeshed with the crossed strands of the braid thus formed and said iibrous material will be compacted upon and about the wire; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of said views.

In the embodiment of our invention shown in the drawings, a indicates the table of an ordinary braiding machine having therein a central opening a, the braiding mechanism carried by which, is old and well known in this art and therefore shown more or less diametrically and in fragmentary manner in the accompanying drawings. The construction and mode of operation of this braiding mechanism is immaterial to our invention as any desired braiding machine may be used which is capable of applying a tubular braid to a continuous strand. The actuating mechanism c for the braiding needles and the spools or cops, is positioned between the table a and the fixed table d supported above and spaced away from the said table a. The table al has a central opening al therein in axial alinement with the opening a. Carried by a suitable cross head e "l is a grooved wheel f driven at a low, uniform rate of speed from a shaft g by the gear train g. The wheel f is the same as that ordinarily employed in braiding machines for covering insulated wires, for accurately positioning the wire it within the various braiding needles Z9. rlhe construction heretofore described is old and well known in this art, and it is not our intention to claim any of this mechanism broadly as a part of our invention, since a machine ernbodying the characteristics above described, is now in common and extensive use in applying the cover braid to various types of insulating wire.

Our invention resides in the combination with a braiding machine suoli as we have described, or with any other similar braiding machine, of certain mechanisms' by which the functions of this machine may be modified in a manner to apply a brous covering to a wire and inclose said covering within the braid formed by the machine in a particular manner to secure a more uniform and more permanent union between the body of the insulating mate-V rial and the braided cover than is possible to secure with the old type of braiding machine alone.

li h this end in view, we provided the table al with a guide bloc* j having a truncated conical opening therethrough, the base of which opening is in substantial register with the opening d. This guide block 7' is adapted to have passed through the opening therein a plurality of strips of cotton sliver, or other material, which material is laid upon the wire .7i above the guide block as a result of the movement of said wire .7L and the wheel Vp.

Above the guide block isa forming die or horn m supported from the main frame of the braiding machine, through which the wire after the braid has been applied thereto is drailfn, the different strands In forming the braid being applied to the wire just prior to its passage through said die or horn m. in order to secure a better enmeshing of the various strands It with the outer .fibres of the strips 76, or a more thorough entangling of said libres and the meshes of the braid, we provide the forming die or horn m with a bell mouth presented toward the guide block j so as to vary the angle of application of said strands n and force then into the body of the strips f: before they are drawn taut to compact said strips about the wire 7L. By this construction the tightening of the braid about the cover wire occurs at a point above that at which the strands 'n first engage the fibrous strips thus permitting the formation of the mesh about the 'liulfy bres of said. strips and the closing or tightening of the mesh while some of said libres are inclosed thereby. Furthermore, this construction results in the compaction of the fibrous strips /li in part by the strands n, and in part by the die or horn m. The manner of applying the braid. also tends to wrap the strips 7a entirely about the wire, to facilitate which we preferably employ a plurality of said strips c disposed about the wire.

e have secured highly satisfactory results by using two strips 7u laid upon diametrically opposite surfaces of the wire h, although, it is not our intention to limit ourselves to the use of two such strips. Between the guide block j and the die or horn m, we provide a hollow guide through which the wire .7i passes. The guide 0 is supported from the guide block j in arial alinement with the opening through said block so as to preserve the proper relative positions of the strips ,7; and the 'ire 72,. The outer surface of the guide 0 is in the form of a truncated cone so as to guide the strips in relation to the wire 7L, said strips being laid upon said wire above said guide.

Owing to the liability of the wire h to have bends therein, we preferably mount the guide block 7' upon the table d in a manner to permit a universal movement of said block upon single plane, so that said block is capable of movement under the Control of the guide o carried thereby, to accord with any irregularities or bends in the wire, the simultaneous movement of said guide and said guide block j preserving the relative position of the strips k and the wire h irrespective of a departure of the wire from a straight line at any point there-r` of. To permit this movement of the guide block j, we mount it upon the plate 0l by means of headed studs p passing throughing of the guide block j, while permittingv a free sliding movement of the block upon the table d.

The strips L are coiled in containers g in a manner to permit them to be drawn freely therefrom.

The machine of our present invention has no relation to the saturation or impregnation of the covering for the wire whichy ordinarily is -done by a subsequent operation.

The operation of the 'herein described machine is substantially as follows A. wire h, drawn from a reel of wire (not shown) is passed through the openings erf-4d and the openings in the guide block y', the guide 0 and the forming die or horn m and about the grooved wheel f to a rewinding mechanism `(not shown) but commonly used in connection with a braiding machine. The wheel f is driven at a slow uniform rate of speed, thus maintaining the wire in the proper relation to the braiding and vother mechanisms during its slow lineal traverse. When starting the machine, the ends of the strips lo are drawn from the containers g, passed through the openings 1f-d and the opening in the guide block j; about the guide 0 and secured to the wire below, but Within, the forming die or horn m so that movement of the wire 7L will impart similar movement to the strip 7c. y

The ends of the strands n are then secured to the wire in the usual manner and power is applied to the braiding mechanism b. The number of strands n varies in different machines, these strands being so interwoven in the operation of the machine, as to secure the desired mesh.

In placing the ends of the strands about the portion of the strips `c-laid upon the wire at and within, the forming die or horn m, said strands will engage the edge of the bell'mouth of this die or horn, which will vary the angle of said strands, and cause the application of the tension or stresses upon said strands to beapplied to the covered wire within the die or horn. The outer edge of this bell mouth will deline the initial crossing points of the separate strands n thus causing the outer fibres of the strip la which are adjacent and project beyond, the inner kwall of said bell mouth to be entangled in the mesh of the braid and to be tightly grasped thereby in a manner to form a firm and permanent interlock between these fibres and the braid with the subsequent closing of thel mesh and resultant compacting of the covering for the wire.

In this manner, the braid is bondediirmly y to the iibrous covering for the wire, so that wear of the braid from abrasion, or otherwise, will not result in the separation ofr the braid from the rcompacted strips la, the saturation of the braid and the fibrous material of the strips serving merely to add greater permanency to the union between the braid and the cotton sliver or other material of the insulating covering.

In the event of the wire h having bends therein, such irregularities inthe wire will displace the guide o according to the direction of said bend, thus imparting movement to the guide block in accord with change of direction` of projection of the wire due to such bends. This movement of the guide block y will cause the strips 7c to follow the wire irrespective of bends therein and thus 'preserve' the relativel position of lthe wire and said strips under all conditions.

A machine made in accordance with our invention, applies the fibrous material directly to the'wire, forms theiibrous material while applying the outside braid thereto, secures the desired degreelof compaction of this material and unites the braidto vsaid fibrous material.-

to permit its being properly fed through the braiding machine.

By laying these strips lc directly upon they Wire k: as described, and compacting them during the application of the braid thereto, these strips are relieved from the longitudinal stresses yincidental to winding them spirally about the wire, thus avoiding likelihood of frequent breakages of the sliver,

These results are all sekcured by ak continuous operation of the ma-` or the necessity for guarding against such` brealrages in the productionk of said sliver. Furthermore, 1n a machine of our invention, the cotton sliver, or other material, isV

incorporated in the insulated conductor Wire by a mechanism very Vmuch simpler, than that ordinarilyremployed for applying such material to the wire while the manner of applying the sliver minimizes any tendency of its separating from the wire in the event of the cutting of the braid.

Since the fibres of the cotton sliver, or other material, will lie substantially longitudinally of the wire, the stripping of the wire during installation is compara,- tively easy as compared with a wire having a spirally wound insulating covering.

It is not our intention to limit the invention to the details of construction shown in the accompany-ing drawing, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described our invention what we Claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is :M

l. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart only lineal traverse to a wire, non-rotary means adapted to guide a strip of matted fibrous material 'substantially parallel with, and lay it longitudinally of, and upon, said wire, a braiding mechanism adapted to apply a plurality of strands to said fibrous material, and a compacting die arranged beyond said braiding mechanism in the direction 'of movement of the wire, whereby the meshes of the braid-forming strands will enmesh or entangle therein, outer fibers of said fibrous material, and said 'material will be compacted upon or about the wire substantially simultaneously with the application of the strands of the braid thereto without Winding said fibrous material spirally about the wire.

2. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart only lineal traverse to a wire, a non-rotary block having an enlarged opening therethrough through which a wire and a strip of matted fibrous material pass in substantially parallel relation, a braiding mechanism adapted to apply a plurality of strands to said fibrous material, and a stationary forming die or horn beyond said braiding mechanism whereby the braid is applied to the strip covering the Wire prior to its passage through said die or horn, and outer fibres of said material will be enmeshed or entangled in the meshes of the braid thus formed and said fibrous material will vbe compacted upon and about the Wire without being wound spirally about same.

3. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart only lineal traverse to a Wire, a non-rotary block having an enlarged opening therethrough through which a wire and a strip of matted fibrous material pass in substantially parallel relation, a braiding mechanism adaptedto apply a plurality of strands to'said fibrous material, and a stationary forming die or horn beyond, and having a bell mouth presented toward said braiding mechanism, said braiding mechanism applying the braid to said strip prior to its passage through said die or horn, whereby outer fibres of said material will be enmeshed or entangled in the meshes of the braid thus formed and said fibrous material will be compacted upon and about the wire without being wound spirally about same.

4i. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart lineal traverse to wire, a non-rotary block having an enlarged opening VtherethroughV through which a wire and a strip of fibrous material pass in substantially parallel relation, a braiding mechanism adapted to apply va 'plurality of strands to said fibrous material, means whereby said block may have universal movement 0n a single plane, means operatively connected with said block and adapted to be engaged by the wire, whereby the relative position of the wire and the strip of fibrous material will be at all times substantially the same, and a stationary forming die or horn above said last named means, said braiding mechanism applying the braid to said strip prior to its passage through said die or horn.

5. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart lineal traverse to a wire, a non-rotary block having kan enlarged opening therethrough through which a4 wire and a strip of' fibrous material pass in substantially parallel'relation, a braiding mechanism adapted to apply a plurality of. strands to said fibrous material, means whereby said block may have universal movement on a single plane, a hollow guide supported by, movable withv and having' the opening therein axially alined with the opening of, said guide block, and adapted to have the wire pass therethrough andthe strip of fibrous material to pass thereabout, whereby the relative position of the wire and the strip of fibrous material will-be at all times substantially the same, and a stationary forming die or horn above said hollow guide, said braiding mechanism applying the braid to said strip prior to its passage through said die or horn.

6. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart lineal `traverse to a wire, a non-rotary block having an enlarged truncated, conical opening therethrough through which a wire and a strip of fibrous material pass in substantially parallel relation, a braiding mechanism adaptedto apply a plurality of strands to said fibrous material, means whereby said block may have universal movement on a single plane, a truncated, conical, hollow guide supported by, movable with and having the opening therein axially alined with the opening of, said guide block and adapted to have the wire pass therethrough and the strip of fibrous material to pass thereabout, whereby the relative position of the wire and the strip of fibrous material will be at 'all times subs stantially the same, and a stationary forming die or horn'above said hollow guide, said braiding mechanism applying the braid to said strip prior to its passage through said die or horn.

7. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart lineal traverse to a wire, a non-rotary block having an enlarged truncated, 4conical opening therethrough through which a wire and a strip of fibrous material pass in substantially parallel relation, a braiding mechanism adapted to apply a plurality of strands to said fibrous material, means whereby said block may have universal movement on a single plane, a truncated, conical, hollow guide supported by, movable withand having the opening therein axially alined with the opening of, said guide block and adapt ed to have the wire pass therethrough and the strip of fibrous material to pass thereabout, whereby the relative position of the wire and the strip of fibrous material will be at lall times substantially the same, and

a stationary; forming die or horn above, and havingfa bell mouth presented toward, said hollow guide, said braiding mechanism applying the braid to said strip prior to its passage through said die or horn.

8. A machine for making insulated wire embodying therein means adapted to impart only lineal traverse to a wire, non-rotary means whereby a strip of matted fibrous material is guided in parallel relation to and laid longitudinally of the wire, abraiding mechanism adapted to apply a tubular braid about said fibrous material, and compacting means arranged beyond said braiding mechanism and having a circular flaring mouth presented toward same whereby the strandsy i forming said braid lare brought into en i gagement with the fibrous material at one angle and the angle of said strands is thereafter varied to maintain them in ,engage ment with the fibrous material of said strip as said strip is being folded about and compacted upon the wire, whereby fibres of said material are enmeshed or entangled in the meshes of said braid.

In witness whereof we yhereunto afx our signatures in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses this 29th day of Oct., 1917.

WILLIAM E. COOK.

MERRITT B. BRADT.

lVitnesses: f

FRED E. BLACKWEIL, R. M. WOOLSEY. 

